What the Horn Wrought
by Cosette 24601
Summary: When Pruniprismia has a daughter, Dr. Cornelius mistakenly thinks all is well. But a few weeks later, he blows the horn while running for his life. But with the Pevensies separated for school, they are spread throughout an unfamiliar Narnia. And with Caspian still the next in line for Telmarine throne, will they see him as an ally or threat? Prince Caspian AU
1. The Queen's Horn

**This story was partially inspired by some reviews from my wonderful reviewers on my story ****_It Started Out as a Feeling. _****I would say which, but that would be a bit of a spoiler since one of them inspired a scene that will be near the end of this fic. This story takes place during ****_Prince Caspian_****, but follows a very different plotline. **

**Also, I know the title of this fic is rather stupid. Please leave a review with any ideas if you have one! I'm really bad at titles. **

When he found that Queen Pruniprismia had a daughter, Dr. Cornelius was relieved, believing it the end of his troubles. He could go back to his normal day-to-day life, but then a rat showed up and everything changed.

"Are you the prince's tutor?" an unfamiliar, disembodied voice said. He looked around his study wildly. Something was…off… about that voice. Inhuman.

"Ah, yes?" he said nervously.

"Are you really half-Narnian?" the voice said.

"Ah… no… who's talking?" he said, startled. He almost told the truth, since he had suspicions about the voice belonging to a Narnian.

"Over here," the voice said, and a rat scurried out of the shadows. Larger than the average, and by his face, clearly intelligent. "Now do you want to say if you're part Narnian or not?"

"I – I am," he said, shocked to actually see a real, live, full-blooded Narnian in front of him. Speaking to him. "Dwarfish blood… but… how do you know? Who are you?"

"Ah! I forget my manners. Sir Reepicheep, at your service," he said with a fancy twirl of his sword. "And in reference to your question, I often patrol the castle secretly. To find out if any of the many Narnian hiding places have been compromised. And the other day, they said they have suspicions about the prince's tutor. The moment I saw you, I was fairly sure. And I couldn't let a fellow Narnian die."

"Thank you, noble Mouse. But what course of action do you propose?" he asked anxiously. He had been worried for Prince Caspian, but now it seemed it was his life instead that was in danger.

"Why, leaving of course! I don't even understand why anyone of Narnian blood would even want to be here," he said.

"To change how Telmarines think of Old Narnia from the top down. If the young prince is on our side, others will follow," Dr. Cornelius said emphatically.

"Hm, I do see what you mean. The others won't be so happy to know that the Telmarine prince knows of our existence however. We mainly survive through their ignorance," Reepicheep mused.

"Prince Caspian X is not like his forefathers. He sympathizes with us. And should he meet you, he would be absolutely delighted. In fact, how about I find him right now?" he said eagerly.

"I must say, I am intrigued by the idea of a Narnia-loving Telmarine, but right now, your life may be on the line. We need to leave immediately," the Mouse said, waving his sword around for emphasis.

"Very well. Let me leave him a note so he knows where I've gone," he said.

"Later. Either I or one of the other Talking Mice can deliver it," Reepicheep said. "Rather than risking someone else getting it."

"Then just let me grab this to take," he said, walking over to a hidden chest and unlocking it with the key tucked under his tunic.

"We may not have time to pack," Reepicheep said impatiently.

"Trust me, this you'll want," he said, lifting Queen Susan's horn from where he safely hid it.

Reepicheep gasped. "Is that…"

"It is," he said solemnly. The mouse removed his circlet, awed to be in the presence of such an old and holy artifact.

"Other than that, there's nothing of too much importance. Stories of Old Narnia, but you all already live that," he said. They hurried out of the room down to the stables. They got there no problem, but the guard was apprehensive.

"Why would the prince's tutor need such a fast horse?"

"Simply for practice," he lied. "King Miraz wishes me to travel with the prince, and I should get in practice first."

"I see," the guard said. He whispered something to another guard who hurried off.

Reepicheep slipped under his robes and into his hood, resting on his shoulder. "Hurry! I overheard them. He sent him to ask Miraz if that's true." He began preparing the horse more purposefully, as fast as his old and untrained hands could work. Soon he was off, Reepicheep still hidden in his cloak. When they were far out enough, Reepicheep snuck out to look behind them. "They're after us! They sent out three men on horse!" He hid again, to keep them from knowing the existence of Narnians. But he kept one eye out enough to see. "They're gaining on us!"

"I'm headed for the forest. They're not likely to follow us there," he said to the Mouse.

"We're not going to get there in time unless you ride faster!" he exclaimed.

"I'm making the horse ride as fast as it possibly can!" he protested.

"Then we're doomed," Reepicheep said. "But keep going! I need to drown myself in the river so they do not have my body to prove Old Narnia is alive."

"There's no need for that," Dr. Cornelius said, fumbling for the horn.

"But… but that's the Queen's!" Reepicheep protested. "We do not deserve the honor of blowing her horn!"

"She protected Narnians, did she not? What better way of honoring her than to use her horn against those who stole her country?" he asked anxiously. The Mouse thought it over and nodded. He raised the horn as ceremoniously as possibly under the circumstances and blew it. The most beautiful sound he had ever heard filled the air. Even the Telmarines paused when they heard the echoing call. But Dr. Cornelius and Reepicheep were sorely disappointed to see that no help came. They had each secretly hoped that the kings and queens of old would appear, but no one seemed to be there. But the horn was supposed to at least bring some sort of help, and there was none. He made the horse race even faster towards the forest. At least Reepicheep might be able to disappear into some trees or in the worst case, drown himself in the river as he so morbidly said.

"Do not worry!" the Mouse said shrilly as they entered the outskirts of the forest. "Aslan will protect us!"

Suddenly, the horse reared as a Telmarine boy, perhaps a few years younger than Prince Caspian grabbed the reins of the horse, forcing it to stop. Dr. Cornelius blinked as he took in the strange attire of the boy. He then saw another boy, blonde and more likely Archenlander, standing by him. Both boys were wearing what to him seemed the strangest of outfits.

"What's going on here?" the elder one demanded. Dr. Cornelius was rather offended that such a young man would speak to him like a superior.

"No need to sound so bossy, Pete," the younger boy muttered.

_Pete? That's not an Archenlander name. At least I don't think so. And they seem to act like brothers although they look nothing alike, _he thought.

The elder boy ignored the jibe and addressed Reepicheep. "What is the matter, cousin Mouse? We heard you call for Aslan."

"Telmarines! Trying to kill him because he is half-Narnian!" Reepicheep said hurriedly as the soldiers grew ever closer.

"Telmarines? In Narnia?" the younger boy said, his eyebrows knotting in confusion.

"Killing off Narnians?" the blonde practically growled, hand moving to a sword that was not actually there.

"For the last 1300 years," Dr. Cornelius said, pondering why that would confuse them so. They… could they possibly be… he hardly dared hope. "Ever since they took advantage of the confusion left by the disappearance of the High King and his royal siblings."

The two boys exchanged almost guilty glances.

"The Telmarines are here!" the Mouse said shrilly, pointing his swords toward them and jumping off the horse to the other horses. The dark haired boy released the reins of the horse, and the two boys ran to engage the Telmarines in a fight, despite having no weapons and wearing strange garments which seemed unlikely to provide much protection in a fight. But their skill was unmatchable. And they seemed perfectly at ease with fighting alongside a Mouse, as if they had done so many times before. They were ducking and dancing just out of reach of the Telmarines' swords as Reepicheep used his sword to make the horses fall. When the riders fell off, the two boys took advantage of their confusion to wrestle their weapons away. Soon there were no enemies, a testament to those boys' incredible skills. And those skills confirmed what he had been suspecting. Dr. Cornelius slowly dismounted his horse, facing the two boys and knelt. Reepicheep faced them as well, swordhilt held at his heart.

"You – you're _them_, aren't you?" he said in awe.

"Them?" the eldest said, looking vaguely amused.

"The Kings of Old?" Reepicheep asked.

"High King Peter. The Magnificent," the blonde one introduced himself.

"Could've left that last part out," his brother mumbled under his breath.

"And my brother, King Edmund the Just," he continued, placing a hand on his brother's shoulder and surreptitiously squeezing it, most likely as a reprimand for the crack.

"Your Majesties," Dr. Cornelius said, his amazement nearly silencing him despite the many things he wanted to say to them.

"Your Majesties! We have anxiously awaited your return! Our hearts and swords are at your service," the Mouse said eloquently, waving his sword around.

The High King nodded approvingly. "We are pleased to have returned to our country and will do all we can to help our people."

"But, how did we get here?" King Edmund asked.

"Queen Susan's horn, your majesties," Dr. Cornelius said, holding it out for them to take as they had the right to it. The High King picked it up, looking it over as if to confirm that it was in fact his sister's. "There have long been myths that it would eventually bring the Kings and Queens of Old from the past to save the Narnians."

"Speaking of the Queens…" King Edmund began. "Shouldn't it have called them up too?"

"Ah…I do not know," Dr. Cornelius said awkwardly as they all seemed to be looking at him for answers.

"They weren't with us when we were pulled out of that world," Edmund said worriedly. "They were at their school."

"So they could be anywhere in Narnia right now," Peter concluded anxiously, exchanging private glances with his brother. Dr. Cornelius felt they had some sibling bond that allowed them to express themselves to each other in a way no one else would ever be privy to.

"Sires, we can begin a search party as soon as your majesties wish it," Reepicheep said valiantly. "I only request that I lead one of the royal search parties."

"That may not be the best idea," the High King mused quietly. Dr. Cornelius had to strain to hear it, although his age may have been a large factor in his inability to clearly hear him. Out loud, Peter said, "There are other Narnians, no?"

"Many of us, Sire. All ready to serve your Majesties," he said gallantly.

"Then bring us to them," he commanded. Dr. Cornelius was rather excited. Not only did he meet a Talking Animal for the first time, but he had met the High King and his royal brother, the Just King. And now… it seemed his suspicions about a few remnants of old Narnia surviving were incorrect. There were perhaps even legions of them, all of which he was soon to meet.

**Future chapters will be mainly from the perspectives of the Pevensies and Caspian. I just felt the backstory of the horn being blown a few weeks later was better portrayed by Dr. Cornelius since he was the one who blew it in this fic. **


	2. Kill the Heart

**Not even an hour after posting the first chapter and there were already requests for more? Wow! Thanks for all the love! **

**ResOmnesBeneFacere recommended the title "What the Horn Wrought." While it's not perfect for how this story is going to go, it's definitely much better than my completely uncreative title. Thank you! **

That brat. That ungrateful, insufferable brat. They could promise him legions of tutors, servants, and other flunkies, and he would still whine about losing his apparently _Narnian_ tutor. Or half-Narnian. But it hardly mattered. Pruniprismia didn't want any Narnian, half, whole, or even just one drop anywhere near her precious daughter. She was furious that such a thing nearly happened. And now when she was supposed to be taking care of her daughter, she instead was constantly interrupted by hearing the spoilt prince whine. If anything motivated her to go through the trials of pregnancy again, it was the thought that unless she had a son, her husband would allow this obnoxious fool to succeed him.

But he was the crown prince. Unless he was disgraced or … dealt with as his father was. Then Miraz would have no choice but to make her daughter his heir. A rather pleasant idea to her mind. It may be against regular protocol, but even the most uptight lords would realize that Miraz had no choice. Caspian and her daughter were the only young members of the royal family.

If Miraz was planning on letting Caspian live, then it must be the former. Disgraced. But she hardly knew how to do so. Until a girl stumbling around outside in the trees caught her eye. She decided to investigate.

"Girl, what are you doing here?" she demanded.

"I… I'm a bit lost," she said, but managed a faint smile as a greeting.

"Do you not curtsy for your queen?" she asked.

"Oh, forgive me, your Majesty. I didn't realize," she said, sweeping a curtsy that was far too grand for such a poor girl.

Pruniprismia looked her over again, judging her. "You are not Telmarine after all, are you?"

"Nay, I am… Galman," she said slowly.

It seemed plausible. "A commoner, by your dress?"

The girl fingered the edge of her rather ill-fitting dress that clearly wasn't made for her. Pruniprismia wondered if the girl may have even stolen it. She certainly seemed uncomfortable in it. "Yes, your Majesty."

"I see," she said, a plan already forming in her mind. "You are quite a pretty, young thing. About the same age as my nephew unless I'm very much mistaken."

A boy Caspian's age would easily be distracted by such a girl. Perhaps then they could get him to end his ceaseless whining. And a common girl. If the prince were to ever be caught sleeping with a common, especially a foreign girl, he would surely be disgraced. And this girl in particular would be the perfect means to her goal. She was beautiful, even dressed as she was. And if Pruniprismia's assessment of her was in fact correct, a penniless thief would be more than willing to let a prince bed her.

"Girl, my nephew, the crown prince, could use a servant. Would you be willing?" she asked.

Something Pruniprismia didn't understand flickered in the girl's eyes. After a moment's hesitation, the girl responded, "I would indeed, your Majesty. Thank you."

"Good, good," she said, gesturing for the girl to follow her apace. She sent a servant to find her nephew.

"What is it?" Caspian rudely demanded.

"I know you are most… upset over the departure of your tutor," she said.

"More than simply upset! He – " he began ranting until she pushed the girl in front of her.

"Who… Who's this?" he said, the poison from his voice disappearing into something soft and mild. He was clearly smitten, in a way he had never been before. And whether intentionally or not, the girl was playing him perfectly. She pushed her hair back slowly, the mere phantom of a smile playing on her lips, her every move piquing Caspian's interest. Pruniprismia had chosen well.

"I thought if perhaps we found you another servant, you might forget your tutor. So, what have you, nephew? Will you accept her in exchange for keeping quiet with your endless complaints?" she said.

He glared. "You are trying to buy my silence on the matter?"

"I am trying to find you a replacement that will please your Highness," she said testily. What an insufferable wretch. "Or is she not pleasing to you? Then I will send her back."

"No!" he practically shouted. Then, more calmly, he repeated. "No. I… I will accept her. Please."

The please made for a pleasant change. She nodded and pushed the girl towards him, leaving the two. It seemed her plan was likely to work even better than she had anticipated. The boy would be simply a disgraceful memory soon enough and her daughter would be in line for the throne of Narnia, no matter what all those idiots thought about the lineage needing to be male.

She was lost. Completely lost. She had no clue who this queen was and why they referred to themselves as "Telmarines." They clearly were not in Telmar, but Narnia. But not the Narnia she knew. No, this place had been frightening her as she had been stumbling around, trying to figure out what happened, trying to figure out where her family was. If only they hadn't been separated when they were called back. But perhaps Peter and Edmund were close enough together that they would be near each other here too. But her sister had left for a field trip, so they were both alone in this poisoned land.

She hadn't found any of her Narnians either. She would even accept seeing some of their old enemies: hags, minotaurs, werewolves. At least that would assure her that there was a chance of Old Narnia still being alive in this human-populated Narnia.

Eventually, she tried to get information out of humans in the villages she passed. She also stole an outfit for herself, rather than the uniform of a British schoolgirl which stuck out like a sore thumb. She pieced together bits and pieces to realize that at the very least, centuries must have passed since they were there. The thought of all her friends being gone terrified her. Losing a friend was hard at any time, but figuring out all at the same time that everyone was long dead was all the more painful.

But she would stay strong. She was a queen, after all. And Aslan would not have called them back if he did not have a purpose for them. When the lady said she was the queen, she realized what their purpose must be. Avenge the Narnians who were displaced from their rightful home. And what better place to do so then right at the heart of Telmarine Narnia? There would surely be plenitude of opportunities.

"I'm Prince Caspian," the boy needlessly introduced himself once they were alone. "And your name?"

"I… I'm Phyllis," Susan lied.

"Strange name," he commented. "So um…you're quite… beautiful."

She didn't deign to give that pointless comment a response. She was disturbed by the way his eyes flickered up and down her body. Rarely did anything good ever come out of boys looking at her that way. She would have to strike quickly to get out of her before he could take advantage of her compromised state.

"I suppose having you as a 'replacement' for my tutor means my lessons are still on hold for now," he mused. "And you wouldn't be able to give me the lessons I truly crave."

She had no clue what to make of the second comment. As for the former, she was insulted by the presumption, but held her tongue. She couldn't afford for them to realize her intelligence.

"Lessons you truly crave, Sire?" she asked.

"Nothing you need know," he said brusquely.

"Yes, your Highness," she said.

"I'm going to go out riding now to clear my mind. You can um… do whatever. Clean or… I don't really care," he said, leaving abruptly.

Clear his mind? She shrugged, not really caring. She decided she might as well attempt to tidy the room. It was a tad better than sitting around doing nothing. She absentmindedly began humming a Narnian tune as she worked.

Suddenly, she realized she was not the only one humming it.

"Who's there?" she called. No response. "I know I heard you."

After a wait, she resumed cleaning and softly singing a Narnian ditty. The voice joined in with her.

She spun around, but saw no one. Not that she expected to. She could tell now what sort of creature was there with her. "Please reveal yourself, cousin Mouse. Your presence will be a boon in this dismal place."

Suddenly, a mouse crawled out of a shelf right by her head. But she was more than used to such things after having ruled over Narnia for so long that she hardly reacted.

"Are you her royal Majesty, the legendary Queen Susan the Gentle?" he asked, seeming awestruck.

"I am she. And you are?"

"Reepicheep, at your Majesty's disposal," he said grandiosely. "Your royal brothers have been scouring the country searching for you and your royal sister."

"You know where they are?" she asked anxiously.

"They have taken charge of all of us old Narnians," he said. "We live in the forest, away from Telmarine eyes which would see us all dead."

"Then why are you here? I'm glad you are, my dear Mouse. But it is dangerous for you here, is it not?"

"I keep watch against the Telmarines. It… they occasionally find us out. And it never ends well for us," he said, staring off into the distance. Susan wanted to ask, thinking there was more to be said on the "never ends well", but thought it prudent to not press for details which were sure to be a tragic memory. An close potentially, to encourage him to take such risks to prevent it happening again. "And… If I'm here, I've managed to find out all sorts of facts. I overhear bits and pieces which I warn the others about. But thankfully, most of the Telmarines would rather believe we don't exist."

"Can you bring a message to my brothers?" she requested.

"Anything for you, my queen. But why not give them that message yourself?" he asked.

"I will stay here. I managed to get a position as the prince's servant," she said.

"A queen should never have to serve another! Especially not her own enemy," he protested in shock.

"Tell my brothers that the heart is the quickest kill," she said.

The mouse looked at her, bemused. Then he said, "You… you're planning to take down the prince, aren't you?"

"Indeed. Tell my brothers that for once in their life, they need to have patience. I will find a way to eliminate the royal family without implicating myself, and then they can strike a weakened government from the outside," she said. Peter would be furious, she knew that for sure. Lucy too. Lucy was quick to fight. But a little patience makes war easier. And she could practically deliver Telmarine Narnia into their hands if they would only wait. Hopefully Edmund would convince Peter to wait. Once Edmund pointed out the Narnian blood that could be saved with her methods, he just might be able to convince Peter to wait.

"I… I hardly think that's safe for your Majesty!"

She could waste time trying to convince him. Or she could play on Mouse tendencies. "Do you presume I cannot protect myself based on what you see? I would have thought that a Mouse, likely often ridiculed for small size despite being an excellent fighter would realize appearances are not everything."

"I… of course, your Majesty," he said. "Please forgive my unseemly presumption. But… I was more basing my assertion on the fact that the legends say you were an archer, not a sword or fist fighter."

"I preferred archery. But it would be imprudent to not have me prepared to protect myself in any way possible," she said. "Especially since our enemies often thought that we queens would be easier prey and therefore often targeted us."

"I see," the Mouse said, still unconvinced that leaving the queen would be in her best interests. "I…I will bring your Majesty's message to the High King as soon as possible."

It wasn't long after Reepicheep left that the prince returned.

"Who – oh, yes. Hello, Phyllis," he said uncertainly.

"Your Highness," she said, sweeping a curtsy. She walked over to remove his coat as she had seen servants working for Peter and Edmund do so often. In doing so though, her fingers accidentally swept across his back, and his shoulders stiffened. As she folded up his coat and put it away, she could constantly feel his eyes on her. It was really rather creepy.

"Would.. would you like to um… go for a walk?" he asked.

"What?"

"With me. A walk. With… me," he clarified awkwardly.

"I suppose," she said. Well. Barely a few hours and he was already trying to get close to her. That could make her job easier. Or perhaps harder. That was the problem of getting to know your enemy too closely. You begin to realize that they are more similar to you than they are different.

They walked in silence. She wasn't inclined to talk, and he seemed unsure of himself. She could feel his eyes almost burning her with their intense stare. It was altogether incredibly disconcerting.

Finally, someone came and called the prince away for combat lessons. She was relieved to be away from him. She wasn't sure what was going on with him. However, she wasn't entirely sure where she was. At least she had an excuse now for snooping about. She could easily be lost in trying to find her way back.

As she snuck around, she heard a commotion taking place. She crept over as quickly as she could and hid so she could observe. Several soldiers were returning from some mission or another with a white sheet cast over an oddly shaped lump on a horse. Some lord or king – could this perhaps be the prince's uncle? – came over and pulled the sheet off.

Susan gasped. Did the Telmarines know what he was? The person was, to her, clearly an unconscious red dwarf. She could only pray that the Telmarines wouldn't recognize him as such and assume him an incredibly short person with a long beard. But judging from their reactions, they knew. She wished she hadn't sent Reepicheep away so quickly. She could use some help right not. She couldn't let this dwarf be executed or alert more Telmarines to the existence of Narnians.


	3. Amidst the Ruins

Lucy had been wandering aimlessly for days. She kept thinking she recognized where she was, only to see something different. And if this was Narnia, where was everyone? She had seen animals in the forest, but none had greeted her as she had them. A few ran away in fear, others were clearly unable to talk. There was one particularly terrifying moment when she had attempted to talk to a wild bear, but she had run just in time and swam down a river.

And it was by following that river that she found the coast. If this was Narnia, she was sure that Cair Paravel would hold answers for her. If not, she had no clue what she was going to try next. She was tired, thirsty, and starving. She knew enough about the woods to get by, but living in the forest was significantly easier when the trees were dryads rather than hard, unfeeling wood.

As she travelled down the coastline, it was rather familiar to her. And yet, not. It was similar enough to bother her, but not so similar that she would instantly know it to be Narnia. It was the same problem that had been driving her crazy all along.

She soon passed an island where she'd imagined Cair Paravel might be. But her beloved castle had resided on a peninsula, not an island. And only ruins where there, not the majestic castle she had called home long ago.

Nonetheless, she had little other choice. Where else was she going to go? Perhaps these ruins, whatever they may be, would hold answers.

She swam, struggling thanks to her smaller size not being able to resist the current. But when the Valiant Queen had a goal in mind, nothing could ever get her way. Soon she was running around the ruins, trying to make sense of what was before her.

Apple trees. They had planted them just before the Calormens came for Susan. But these were much more wildly grown. But either way, she was grateful for the easy food. It was quite honestly the best meal she had had since she was in England. As she ate apples, she wandered through the ruins.

She then almost tripped over some small object on the ground. She knelt to pick it up and see it more closely. A knight from a golden chess set. Was this not the knight in Edmund's chess set that she had played with many times? She glanced ahead…

Impossible. It… she ran forward and turned around slowly. She closed her eyes and could almost see the walls and ceiling rising around her, the empty space before her filled with Narnians of all species. A feast before her and satyrs ready to begin the dance. There was no doubt in her mind. She was standing precisely where her throne had been before, facing the poor remnants of their once great Throne Room.

A lump formed in her throat as she willed herself not to cry. What had happened? She knew where she needed to go next. She was relieved to find that their treasure room was yet untouched. She knew their loyal subjects would have protected it, but with Cair Paravel in ruins, she had no clue how they had managed this. But there is was, her precious healing cordial. And of course, her trusty dagger. She pulled out a dress, but it was far too big for her.

But of course. She was bigger then… as opposed to now, when she was much younger. The thought made her giggle. She tossed the dress aside. Deeper down, she found dresses that might have a chance of fitting her, but she ignored them for now and opened her brother's chest instead.

There it was, Rhindon. Named for when he had killed the wolf Maugrim. But there was much more history and many more enemies slain by that same blade. She took the sword.

She moved onto Susan's. She was disappointed to find that of all things, the horn was missing. If only the horn had been there! Then she could blow it and some form of help would have been sure to show up and help her understand what was going on.

But the bow and arrows were still there. While Lucy wasn't nearly the expert at archery that Susan was, Father Christmas was serious when he said it did not easily miss. She plucked at the string and by some magic, it still worked.

After this assessment, Lucy pulled out several of the now far too large dresses and piled them on the floor before curling up on them to sleep. The next morning, she scavenged through Edmund's old things and found what she was searching for: his earliest traveling clothes. They were worn, but in surprisingly good condition. She preferred to borrow his outfit as she had no idea what might be facing her. Besides, it was unlikely he would be here to miss them. She sheathed Rhindon and placed it at her side. Her dagger was hidden away and Susan's bow was slung over her shoulder, the quiver on her back. She had to be ready for anything and everything now that she knew this was Narnia, but not the Narnia she knew. Nay, it seemed to be a ghost of the wondrous land she loved. And how many years must have passed for a peninsula to be an island, a castle to be wrecked, the coastline to change?

Suddenly, a boat caught her eye. Two soldiers – clearly human – and a bundle of some sort. Her anger flared as she realized the bundle was a Red Dwarf.

"Drop him!" she shouted, quickly aiming one of Susan's arrows at them. The dwarf began to protest as the two soldiers took her a bit too literally and dropped him in the water before getting out as fast as they could.

But the dwarf managed to somehow have cut his bonds, enabling him to swim to the surface. When he staggered onto the sand, she saw a small knife in his hand which he must have used to cut the bonds.

"Drop him?" he said indignantly. "They were doing a good job of killing me themselves."

"Why?" she asked, choosing to ignore the insult.

"Why, what?"

"Why were they trying to kill you?" she asked patiently.

"They're Telmarines. It's what they do," he grumbled.

"Telmarines? In Narnia?" she asked, alarmed.

"Where've you been for the last– Cakes and kettledrums! You're _her_, aren't you?"

"Hm?"

"One of the Queens of Old?" he asked anxiously.

Lucy wasn't particularly prone to vanity, but "_Old_?"

"Your, Majesty, it is what we call you know since it has been 1300 years since the Golden Ages," he said, bowing somewhat reluctantly, although he did seem fascinated by her. "I am Trumpkin, at your service."

"Thir-Thirteen hundred years?" she asked, the shock of it nearly overcoming her. "What happened?"

The dwarf began the tale of the Telmarine Conquest. Lucy listened in shock as he recounted every detail of how the Narnians had been cut down and forced into hiding. He skipped over most of the Telmarine history until the reign of the current king, King Miraz.

"And even by the Telmarines' standards, he is an usurper. They say that he probably killed his brother. Just like a Telmarine too," he said.

"But then who should the throne go to? By their standards, I mean."

"Prince Caspian the Tenth. Now this is where it gets interesting," the dwarf said.

"Interesting? How?" Lucy asked eagerly.

The dwarf recounted how the tutor was a half-halfer and escaped just in the nick of time. Lucy started realizing where this was going once Trumpkin mentioned the horn. But what she didn't expect was the appearance of her brothers.

"You've seen Peter and Edmund?" she exclaimed. "How are they? Are they safe?"

"Well, I suppose so. They were the ones who sent me on this wild chase – although I suppose not so wild since I did find you, quite by accident. And not that I'm complaining about being sent. All humble duty to your majesties, all humble duty."

"They sent you?" she asked eagerly.

"They formed search groups for your royal sister and yourself, your Majesty. I was left behind by mine, so I took a shortcut and what a fool I was! Got caught by the Telmarines like the fool I was."

I shall not give it to you in his words, putting in all her questions and interruptions, because it would be too long and confusing, and, even so, it would leave out many points she would only hear later on. But the gist of the story, as known in the end, was as follows.

Susan managed to find a maid's uniform and grabbed some food from the kitchens. She lied her way past the guards to deliver the food. But more importantly, to deliver the small dagger she stole from the armory and hid inside the bread.

But that wasn't enough for her. Since she knew not when she might see the Mouse again to get a message to the Narnian and seek help, she sought out Caspian again. Even though he was still a threat which must be eliminated, she had to admit, he had been surprisingly kind to her. She rather wished he had been the prince of some other country where they would need not be enemies.

"My prince," she said nervously, bobbing a curtsy. "I… I was wondering if I could ask you something. I fear though it may not be an appropriate question for a female to ask."

"Go ahead. My aunt's not here, so what do I care about propriety?" he said with a cocky grin.

She giggled before turning somber once again. "Well… it seems your uncle simply… arrests? There was a short man arrested by him earlier. I asked a soldier what crime the man had committed, and all they said was he was being arrested for existing! For mere existence? I do not understand," she said, hiding behind the shield of being a naïve young girl.

Caspian frowned. He had never bothered to interfere with his uncle's commands before, but Phyllis had a point. And… he wanted to impress her. Which was ridiculous. She was merely a servant. But all the same.

"I'll see what I can do," he promised.

"Thank you," she said, a sweet smile on her lips, making him instinctively smile back. Something about her was so… compelling. He began to leave with a purpose.

"Caspian! I mean, my prince, wait!" she called.

"Yes?" he asked anxiously, not caring that she forgot his title.

"I have one more question," she said slyly, hoping to plant an idea in the prince's head. "Why was your Highness unaware of this? Shouldn't you hold the power as Crown Prince?"

"Oh, my uncle takes care of such things until I am of age," he said, but he quickly grew less certain.

"But are you not almost of age?" she said, cocking her head to the side in bemusement. He nodded. As he left, Susan smiled. Even if the Narnian was not saved, at least the seed of rebellion against his usurping uncle had been placed in the prince's mind.

He barged into the Throne Room as his uncle was slapping the prisoner and saying, "Well. I intend to strike back."

The doors banging made Miraz look up. He spread his arms and said, "My dear nephew. I am surprised you chose to join us. Delighted, _of course_, but surprised nonetheless_._"

"Uncle, what are the charges against this man?" Caspian demanded, ignoring his uncle's false words.

Miraz raised an eyebrow, surprised to see his nephew so interested in politics for once.

"He is a _Narnian,_" he sneered, his lips curling in distaste.

Caspian looked at the prisoner closer and was both elated and scared when he realized his uncle was right. His heart pounded. After losing both his nurse and professor, he was no fool. He may be Crown Prince, but blatant support of Narnia would make that fact negligible. But he couldn't let an innocent dwarf be executed. No wonder the soldiers had told Phyllis the crime was existence. Dwarves were supposed to be extinct.

He forced a laugh. "Uncle, you can't be serious. I think you are simply getting paranoid now. First you think my tutor is a mythical creature, now a random short man who just happens to chose to not cut his beard short? And what evidence do you have for either? None, because Narnians don't exist."

Slowly, some of the lords joined in his laughter. They had been scared before, but the prince's casual, mocking air made the idea of Narnians being alive seem ridiculous once again.

"Who knows," Caspian continued, "Maybe one of the Kings or Queens of Old is living right here in our castle!"

The absurdity of that idea made the lords laugh even harder. But oh, if they only knew how true those words were.

"Perhaps you think living trees are real too? Have you heard any trees talk to you lately?" he mocked, much to the amusement of the council. "I do worry for you, uncle."

Miraz's face turned beet-red with anger at being humiliated. He gestured to Glozelle to take the prisoner away, whispering in his ear, "Make him disappear."

"Don't dismiss the stories so easily, my _dear_ nephew," he said, sounding forced.

"You know, I blame myself partially. As the Crown Prince soon to come to age, I should be taking on some responsibility, not leaving all the burden on your shoulders," Caspian said, the idea suddenly coming to him. He had never thought to take his share of power, but he was soon to be of age, wasn't he? Shouldn't he be acting as a sovereign, not just a prince?

If he had thought Miraz looked furious before, he looked absolutely livid now. "My dear nephew, there's no need to trouble yourself."

"It's no trouble, uncle. Were you not telling me I should grow up?" he said, throwing back his uncle's own words that he had said when Caspian had complained about his tutor being gone.

Miraz was cornered. "But of course. I would love to have my nephew by my side," he said insincerely, inwardly cursing. Caspian felt a surge of power at the idea of beginning to actually rule. Susan's plan had taken root. An undeniable rift had been fixed between uncle and nephew.

"And so," said Trumpkin said. "The guards took me out for questioning, but I needn't tell you they got no true tale out of me, but I was a Dwarf and that was enough. But, lobsters and lollipop! It is a good thing the guards were pompous fools. Anyone else would have run me through right then and there. But nothing would do short of a grand execution: sending me down to the ghosts' in the full ceremonial way. And then you did your fancy bit of archery there – and it was pretty good shooting," the dwarf concluded. "And I used the knife that was in my food to cut the ropes."

"I do wonder how the knife had gotten in your food though," Lucy mused.

"The girl who brought the food seemed to know about it. Her eyes kept darting down to it. But I don't get why a _Telmarine_ would help a Dwarf like me when each and every one of them wants us dead."

For he of course had not recognized the Gentle Queen, dressed as a simple Telmarine maidservant. And with guards around, she could not afford to give him any sign of her identity.

"I do wish we knew were Susan was," Lucy said. "But at the very least, I must find and join my brothers anon."

Now knowing there was much danger, she decided to outfit herself in armor from the Royal Treasury. Thank Aslan much of it was unmarked so no one would know it to be Narnian unless they looked close enough to see the dwarf handiwork.

Soon they set off to Aslan's How, where Trumpkin said her brothers had set up a makeshift court. Lucy marveled at how a cave could have possibly built itself over the Stone Table. It simply made no sense to her. But perhaps Aslan had decided it would be so, for nothing was impossible for him.

They traveled as far as they possibly could until they set up camp for the night, the tired girl quickly falling asleep. Her dreams were vivid, full of dryads waking to dance once more. She joined in their dance, her feet instinctively remembering the steps. Soon, she heard her name being called and followed the voice.

"Aslan!" she cried out, running to him and hugging him excitedly.

"Lucy," the lion growled affectionately.

"You're bigger," she marveled.

"Because you have grown, my child," he responded.

"Why... why couldn't you come roaring in to save the Narnians?" she asked.

"Beloved, nothing happens the same way twice."

Lucy had so many things she wanted to say to him, so many questions, but then she woke up to the sound of someone snapping a branch. She grabbed her sword – well, Peter's sword actually, and slowly stalked to where she had heard the sound from.

Suddenly, a soldier jumped out from behind her. Thank Aslan her reflexes were still intact. She blocked his blow, but only barely. She thought she'd be able to fight him off once she regained her balance, but he was extraordinarily good. His style felt rather familiar to her, which she found strange having never fought Telmarines before. After a minute of sword play, he used a fancy move that unless you knew it, your eyes would not be able follow it, and Lucy's sword flew out of her hand. But she recognized that move. It wasn't the first time it had been used against her.

But there was no time for thinking. She ducked at the last moment before the soldier struck. He was unable to stop his sword in time, and it caught in the tree. While he struggled to pull it out, Lucy took advantage of the moment to find Rhindon.

She grabbed it and ran up to the man, placing it at his throat.

"Reveal yourself!" she ordered. The man slowly took his hands off of his sword which was still buried deep into the tree and hooked his fingers under his helmet to life it. But before he did, another enemy crept up behind Lucy and knocked her unconscious. The last sight she could see was the soldier returning to pulling his sword out of the tree and raising it above his head as he turned to face then everything faded to black as she fell to the forest floor.

**Do you think I got Trumpkin right? He's been one of the trickiest because his book version and movie version differ so much. Also, I hope you didn't hate me for not including much of the Aslan plotline! I got a little bit in, but it was difficult to work it in any more than that. **


	4. Troubles of a Queen

Reepicheep heard noise in the forest and went to investigate. He quickly saw King Edmund in the unmarked armor the Dwaves had just made for him fighting some unknown stranger. Reepicheep scurried up a tree and jumped on the attackers' head, making the human unconscious in a matter of seconds.

"Now, you reveal yourself," Edmund said as he hooked his fingers under the attacker's mask and lifted it up. A large group of Narnians had gathered and leaned in to see the stranger's identity.

Reepicheep was shocked to see it was merely a young girl. The Narnians began murmuring to themselves, wondering who she might be, for there were no females in the Telmarine army. But the most surprising reaction was when the young King's face turned ashen as he cradled the girl's head in his hands.

"Lucy? By the Mane! Lucy," he pleaded, feeling the back of his sister's head for blood.

"Lu- Is this the Queen Lucy?" Reepicheep asked, awestruck.

Edmund nodded as he gently caressed the side of his sister's face.

"Forgive me, Sire, for daring to hurt the Queen. I would not have if I had know her identity," the Mouse said formally.

"It's alright, Reep. I didn't know it was her either. Go get a healer," he said. "I think she'll be fine, but just in case."

Reepicheep came back with not only a healer but also the High King, followed by many interested Narnians. Peter was understandably furious that his sister was hurt, but seemed unsure where to direct his anger.

"Ed! How could you?" he hissed after seeing to his sister.

"Sire, I am afraid I must be to blame for the blow which hurt your royal sister," Reepicheep repeated.

Peter was about to turn on the Mouse when Edmund intercepted, saying, "There was no way of knowing it was Lucy. Reepicheep only attacked because he saw Lucy and I fighting, neither of us recognizing each other thanks to our helmets. Don't blame him."

"How could you not recognize our own sister?" Peter shouted furiously.

"I'm sorry, Pete," Edmund said, contrite, but Peter was far from placated.

Peter was about to start shouting again, but the healer said, "She's coming too."

Peter rushed to Lucy's side and held her as she came to consciousness. "Lu? Lu? Are you alright?"

"Wh-What happened?" she asked groggily.

Edmund and Peter helped her sit up. "I… I didn't recognize you and accidently attacked you. Are you alright?"

"That was you?" Lucy asked. "Oh… that would explain why the moves seemed so familiar. But where's Trumpkin?"

"Trumpkin?" Peter asked.

"The Dwarf that went missing, remember?" Edmund said. "You've seen him?"

"He traveled her with me," she explained. "He should be around here somewhere."

"I can fetch him for you, your Majesties," Reepicheep offered.

"Oh! Who's this?" Lucy asked, rather perkily for someone who had so recently been unconscious.

"Your Majesty! I am Reepicheep, and my heart and sword are at your service," he said, twisting his sword in a fancy salute.

"By the Mane, he is so cute," Lucy said quietly in a amusement.

"Who said that?" Reepicheep demanded, brandishing his sword threateningly.

"Oh, sorry," Lucy said, blushing a bit at realizing he had overheard.

"Oh, uh, your Majesty," the Mouse said, flustered from not having realized it was her. "With the greatest respect, I do believe courageous, courteous, or chivalrous might better befit a Knight of Narnia."

"Reep, go find Trumpkin, please," Peter said, trying to hide his amusement. The Mouse scampered off and quickly returned with the Dwarf who had been worriedly searching for the Queen.

"I thank you, my good Dwarf, for accompanying my sister," Peter said. Trumpkin mostly just grunted in affirmation.

As they walked back, Lucy asked, "Has there been any word of Susan? Where is she?"

Peter and Edmund quickly filled Lucy in on how Susan had been working from inside the palace.

"_Susan's_ going to fight? She always would stay behind at Cair Paravel when we went to war," Lucy said anxiously.

"I don't like it either, but she's too stubborn to listen to our pleas for her to return here to us," Peter said.

Edmund saw it differently, saying, "Susan's always been our last line of defense in case Narnia was ever at its worst. Well, now Narnia's at her worst. It seems almost fitting that Susan's the one to spot an opportunity to help Narnia."

"Still, Susan only really practiced archery!" Lucy complained. "Maybe there's some way we could switch me and her?"

"You try arguing with stubborn Susan," Peter groused.

"So what's our plan? Sit around and wait until Su acts?" Lucy asked.

"Training mostly," Edmund said, sharing a look with Peter. Lucy took it to mean that training wasn't going well.

"And the Telmarine Prince's tutor is with us. But he is more of a nuisance than a help," Peter scowled.

"He says he brought Caspian – that is the name of the prince – up with stories of Narnia and believes the prince sympathetic to our cause. Susan is waiting to act until she knows for sure whether Caspian a possible ally or not," Edmund explained. He wanted to tell Susan his secret suspicion that Peter honestly was hoping Caspian would not be on their side. For a Telmarine Prince sympathetic to their cause may be a threat to his rule. Edmund knew having a powerful ally was more important, but he couldn't help somewhat agreeing with Peter.

"Speaking of Susan, Reep, can you tell her Lucy's been found?" Peter asked of the Mouse.

"Of course, Sire," the Mouse said. It had quickly become his duty to be the go-between for Susan and the rest of the Narnians, but of course he saw it more as an honor than a duty.

To his dismay, he found the queen sitting alone, still as a statue.

"What thoughts trouble you, your Majesty?" he asked softly.

"Oh!" she said, startled out of her reverie. "Ah, it's just you. I didn't hear you come up. I was just… thinking. Of nothing in particular."

"It seemed much more than that, your Majesty. I know I am merely a humble Mouse, but I would consider it the highest honor to be in your confidence," he said kindly.

"Oh, thank you, Reep. But, I fear you wouldn't understand," she said, gazing off in the distance. Reepicheep followed her gaze, but it offered him no clues. So it must be something from earlier that day that bothered her so.

"But having a companion to talk to surely wouldn't hurt," he pressed.

"I… Will you promise to not tell anyone? Not even my siblings?" she asked anxiously.

"As much as it pains me to keep secrets from any of my monarchs, for you, my queen, I would," he pledged, a paw against his heart.

"Thank you, dear Reepicheep. I… It's the lords here. I fear them," she said quietly.

"Fear them? If need be, every Narnian would storm the castle to protect you if they should attempt to hurt or kill you," he said emphatically.

That brought a small smile to her face. "I'm sure you would. But I don't think their aim is to kill me. Far from it."

Reepicheep thought it over, puzzling out what she said. "Forgive me, but I'm afraid my limited knowledge of humans fails me here. I do not comprehend what their aim may be."

"Of course you wouldn't," she said softly. "Most Narnians… mate for life with one and do not think of being with another. Nor is it a part of Narnian culture to force oneself on another in that way."

Reepicheep's eyes grew wide as he finally comprehended why she was upset. "Then come home to your family where your Majesty will be safe from such men. In fact, your royal sister was found this morning, which is the real reason I am here. That, and to inform you the Dwarf you mentioned before, Trumpkin, has returned safely as well."

"Lucy's been found? Is she alright?" Susan asked anxiously, her own worries forgotten.

"There was an, ahem, mishap in which the Just King and I did not recognize her, but she is fine now and quite worried about you in fact," Reepicheep said.

"Well, then be sure to _not_ tell her what I just told you," Susan said sternly.

"I swear I would never betray your Majesty's confidence," he said, affronted.

"I believe you. Forgive me for coming across paranoid. The lords have rather set me on edge," she confessed.

"What about the prince? Has he been treating you well?" Reepicheep asked fearfully.

"I, uh," she said, clearing her throat. "I think the prince only acts as his culture has taught him. He means me no ill will, but…"

Reepicheep's whiskers twitched in confusion. "What has he done?"

"Nothing," Susan said, her voice small.

He touched her shoulder with the tip of his tail. "Please, my queen. It would honor me greatly to know that your Majesty trusts in me."

"You're the only one I've seen in quite some time that I have any trust in," she said with a thin smile. "And more than just a bit."

"Then please, your Majesty. Tell me," he pleaded.

Susan mulled it over and finally said, "He's interested in me. But he is better than most. He cares about me enough to not press the issue since I have made it clear I do not return the interest."

Reepicheep was about to comment, but he heard noises. "Someone comes."

"Quick, go! Get far away so you won't be caught. I'll be alright," Susan insisted.

But the Mouse merely hid in the bushes, having a rather bad feeling about this. Perhaps it was lucky that he happened to linger, perhaps it was the will of Aslan. But either way, Susan would be forever grateful that the Mouse had disobeyed her orders to leave.

"Phyllis. An odd spot for a maid to be, don't you think?" some Telmarine Lord said.

"Lord Scythley," Susan said, turning to curtsy and greet him with perfect cordiality. Only her shaking hands betrayed her fear.

"It's a rather nice spot though, isn't it? Secluded, away from prying eyes," he said, his hand running down her arm.

"I like seclusion. It's rather nice, being _alone_," she said pointedly.

"So is his Highness giving you the afternoon off? So you have plenty of time," the lord asked. Reepicheep wasn't entirely sure why, but he felt anxious at those words and clenched his sword tighter.

"I… I… no?" Susan said uncertainly. She then collected herself and said, "I should be going to him to see if he requires me."

"I'm sure he can wait," the lord said, grabbing her arm and forcing her to stay.

"Please," she squeaked. She then took a breath to collect herself and said, "Please let me pass."

"Not so fast, missy," the lord sneered, his arms encircling her as he pulled her in roughly. Reepicheep wondered why Susan did not even attempt to defend herself. But then he realized, the moment she acted against the lord, he was sure to find some way of blaming her. Reepicheep's mind started working as fast as he could for ways to help Susan. He could try to make some human hear him in bushes and slowly lead them there, but then who says that human would actually help Susan and not make it all worse?

But then the lord shoved Susan towards a tree to pin her against it and Reepicheep saw his chance to act. He snuck through the underbrush around the tree until he was right behind the lord and stabbed the bottom of his foot when he took a step.

The lord screamed like a child at the pain. The corner of Susan's lips lifted in the tiniest of smiles as she saw Reepicheep scamper off before he could see. "Stepped on a thorn, my lord?" she said, her voice dripping with icky sweetness.

"Damn you. Get me a doctor, girl," he spat. Susan was far too happy to leave. As soon as she was out of the lord's view, she began running.

As she turned a corner, she ran straight into Caspian, knocking him over.

"Oh! By the- Do forgive me, your Grace," she said, almost slipping into Narnian cursing.

"But of course," he said amicably. "But what are you in such an awful rush for?"

"Ah, um, Lord Scythley asked for a healer," she said, grateful she did not even need to lie.

"And you rush about on his orders?" Caspian asked skeptically.

"Well, er, he rather shouted them," she said.

He smiled. "You're adorable. But I'll send someone else to get the healer. Come with me."

"I rather sit down for a spell, if it pleases your Highness. I feel rather faint," Susan said.

"Then we'll sit down in my room," he offered eagerly. "Come."

She followed silently. The prince gestured chivalrously for her to sit first, but it seemed he merely did it so that he could be sure to sit beside her, knowing full well she would have chosen some other seat farther away.

"Phyllis, you always seem so sad," he said, bringing her face to look at him with a finger to her chin. "I… I would like to know why."

"I … merely homesickness, your Grace. Nothing to bother yourself with," she said.

He searched her eyes, realizing she was more upset than she wanted to let on. But whether it was truly homesickness or not, he did not know. But he wished she would confide in him for once. And that he could confide in her. He sorely needed someone he could trust and confide in now that his professor was gone. He decided to test the waters, so to speak.

"Phyllis, have you ever heard of … Narnians?" he asked slowly.

"Oh, those fairy tales," she laughed aimlessly. "Why are you talking about bedtime stories made to scare children into behaving?"

"Wait, Narnians are spoken of regularly amongst commoners?" Caspian asked.

Susan then realized her mistake and covered with, "It may just be my mama and papa. I do not know. They only ever spoke of Narnians to scare my brothers into behaving. 'Oh, the evil Narnian will eat you should you venture to far into the woods'."

"Well," Caspian said slowly. "The man who you asked me to plead on the behalf of? Some believe him to be a Narnian."

He was disappointed to see a look of pure fear acrossPhyllis' face. She got up and began pacing about frantically. "But… Narnians do _not_ exist. They can't!"

He got up and held her in place. Well, any chance of her being his confident about his love of Narnia was gone. "Phyllis, calm down. No one thinks you to be involved with Narnians."

Susan found this to be the golden opportunity that she had been looking for. "My Prince, you and your men will protect us from Narnian, no? Hunt them down so they can never harm us again?"

Caspian was taken aback by Phyllis' question. Now he knew that as much as he sorely wanted to, he could never confide in her. Not about this anyways. It pained him more than he thought it would. Phyllis had seemed like the perfect confidant, the perfect partner in general really. But if she feared Narnians so, then she could never understand him fully. He smiled and lied, "Of course. You needn't fear Narnians ever coming close to you."

Susan forced a smile. So the prince's tutor was wrong. Caspian had no intentions of every supporting Narnia, even if he knew it to exist. She had wasted enough time in waiting for this confirmation. It was time for her to act.


	5. Double Crossing

"You wished to speak with me, your Majesty?" Susan said, almost irritably, facing the Telmarine queen. She knew Reepicheep was soon to come searching for her, and she wanted to be there to tell him her plan. But instead she was facing Queen Pruniprismia after a sudden summons.

"I do indeed, girl. Come and walk with me a bit," she said. Susan carefully remembered just in time that Pruniprismia wasn't as likely as Caspian to be forgiving about her walking at her side and fell a step behind. She gritted her teeth. She would be rather happy when this whole charade was over, and she could be treated like a queen again. Pruniprismia began, "You have become close to my royal nephew."

"I am his maid," she said carefully. There was nothing dangerous in stating the obvious truth.

"But you are quite pretty and quite near his age. I have seen the way my nephew's eyes follow you," she said. "As a woman, I know how dangerous it can be to be on the receiving end of that."

Susan glanced at the woman, startled. Of all things, she was not expecting that.

"Ah, you do not understand me yet? Understand this girl. Unless you play your cards right, he will simply toy with you before disposing of you for another," she said. "But I think you aren't as naïve as you seem. I see a bit too much of myself in you."

"I have no interest in letting him toy with me at all, my queen," Susan said. "But I thank you for the…advice." As for the last statement, she had no clue what the right response to that may be. She began running through her mind, wondering what the queen or her spies may have overseen that would lead her to such a conclusion.

"But there is much you can gain from letting him. And it is all the better if you have no interest in him," she said, a thin smile across her lips. "The only question that remains is simply what your true interests are."

Susan glanced at the Telmarine woman's face, trying to read it. But she was fairly certain she knew what was being implied.

"My interests lie in allying myself with whoever can help me the furthest," Susan said, knowing that would perk Pruniprismia's interest.

"Smart girl," she cooed, turning to Susan and stroking her hair like a pet. "I will see to it personally that my husband rewards you well."

"When his position as king is no longer threatened, I would imagine he'd have access to much treasure," Susan said, trying to make her only motivation and interest in the matter seem to be based on money, not personal interest. "What do you need me to do, my queen?"

"You've begun to catch my nephew, but time to lay a trap," she said.

"My pleasure," Susan said. "My queen, may I suggest a plan?"

It was perfect really. She would merely modify her plan and now know that she would not be suspected by the Telmarine king and queen. But Susan was no fool either. There would be a good chance Miraz or Pruniprismia would turn on her so she wouldn't be able to speak of it. So she'd have to play them as they likely played her.

"Clever girl. What is your plan?"

"The prince sometimes brings me when he goes riding for company," she said. "Perhaps I lose control of my horse, and the prince follows in an act of gallantry. Who knows where we may end up? And with the many dangers of bandits and ruffians, anything can happen."

Susan wondered if she should have said so much. Now that she thought back, it probably did sound far too well thought out for a thought she supposedly had just came up with, even with details omitted. But she saw the older lady's greed take over as she grinned at the thought of her nephew's easy death. "I will arrange for rumors of bandits nearby to arise. In three days time, I'm sure all of Narnia will mourn when they so tragically reveal themselves."

"And as his trusted, favorite maid, few will question my story as the tragic, sole survivor of the vicious attack," Susan said, hoping to ensure her own safety for at least some time with those carefully chosen words.

Susan was relieved to find Reepicheep still there waiting for her once she had left the Telmarine queen. She quickly imparted the details of the plan to him. To the Mouse's credit, he did not question her other than to say, "And where do we factor in the plan?"

"I don't trust Miraz or Pruniprismia to keep their word to me. Or to 'Phyllis' rather," Susan said.

"And? Where do I fit in? My heart and sword merely await your command," the Mouse asked eagerly, ready to fit.

"I … actually don't need you directly. But can I trust you to tell the others what I will need and what they must do?" Susan said, trying to appease the Mouse. She knew he wouldn't be happy about not being a part of the action himself, but her plan really did not require a Mouse. She almost wished she could refigure her plans to include him. She had grown quite fond of him in her time at the Telmarine Castle. She honestly believed she might have gone mad if she did not have him to confide in every day.

"But of course!" Reepicheep said, placing a curled paw on his heart as a pledge to his queen.

Susan smiled and leaned in to tell her confidant the details of her plan.

The Mouse went straight to the High King to give his report. Peter was sitting in a makeshift throne the Dwarves had hastily crafted and placed in the How. Despite the haste, the Dwarven craftsmanship was still superior to many human crafted thrones. To his right side sat Edmund in an even more makeshift throne. Lucy was nowhere to be found, off visiting her many new friends as she was apt to do. As word got out that Reepicheep had the news they had been waiting for, the Narnians kept trying to enter, but Peter refused to let any but Glenstorm and a few other leaders listen. Halfway through, it seemed that someone had found Lucy, for she ran in hurriedly with twigs and leaves in her hair. She smiled sheepishly before taking her place to Peter's left.

"I don't like it. There's far too much that can go wrong here," Peter finally said once the Mouse was finished. "And our royal sister in the midst of all of it."

"She's been in the midst of danger this whole time, if you have forgotten. And no evil has come of it. But she will be safer once the plan is finished, I promise," Edmund said, leaning in towards his brother.

"She better be," Peter said, almost angrily. Edmund and Lucy exchanged a glance. Susan had always been the one who had no qualms about telling Peter how dense he was when he needed to be told it. But with Susan gone, not only did they not have her to tell him off, but he also was more tense thanks to fretting about her.

"Peter, it's better than any plan we've come up with so far. And they'll want Susan alive long enough to tell everyone about the bandits," Lucy pointed out.

"Will they?" he questioned sternly. "All they need are bodies, not living survivors."

"But with the double cross," Edmund began, leaning over to place a hand on his brother's arm. "She'll be safe, I swear it on my life, Pete."

"Sire, we won't have another opportunity like this," Glenstorm pointed out.

"There won't be any opportunities at all should Susan die," Peter growled.

"Peter! If you don't agree to let us aid Susan, she'll still go through with the plan. She never listens to you when her mind is made up. So by fighting against her, you're just putting her in more danger!" Lucy finally said testily.

Peter practically jumped back in his throne. "By the Mane, Lu, for a moment you sounded just like Susan."

Edmund tried very hard to keep Peter from noticing him sniggering.

"Well?" Lucy said impatiently, again reminding Peter of Susan.

"I - um," he stammered, still thrown off by Lucy's Susan impression. He then regained his composure and said decisively, "We shall follow Susan's plan with only one alteration. Reepicheep, you and your Mice will be on standby so Susan can call you in a moment's notice should she be in danger."

"It would be our honor," Reepicheep replied, truly delighted to be called upon to protect his queen.

* * *

"Can you catch up to me, my prince?" Phyllis teased as she spurred her mare far in front of his Destrier. Her long brown hair whipped about her face in the breeze, teasing him almost as much as she was.

Caspian grinned as he raced his horse to catch up with her. Normally Phyllis was so docile and meek, but in moments like this, she was even more charming than usual. He almost preferred this teasing, carefree side of the pretty maid. Sometimes it seemed almost as though she wore a mask and this was the real her. There was just something so… so… magical about her. As though she didn't belong to this world at all.

He was surprised just how long it took to catch up to her. She was good at this. He only caught up once she had slowed down.

"Your Highness, what is that?" she said, almost curiously, pointing to something in the distance. Caspian squinted as he tried to make it out.

"I'm not sure. It looks like a small gathering of some sort," he mused.

"Let us go see," she said eagerly, her eyes shining. "Please, your Highness."

Caspian wanted to give in to her, to keep that light in her eyes, but knew those men likely meant danger. "It would be safer to keep our distance."

"Oh, safety. I thought men, particularly princes, like yourself sought out danger, not ran like a child from an adventure," she teased.

Caspian instantly felt the need to prove himself and said, "But of course. But Phyllis, do remain close to me."

"Yes, your Highness," she said dutifully.

They approached the five men there, and Phyllis called, "Lo! Greetings!"

"Well. What do we got ourselves 'ere?" one of the men drawled. He then put his greasy hand on Phyllis' leg as she flinched.

"Release the lady," Caspian demanded, drawing his sword.

"Now see 'ere, mister," the man said, picking up his own club. The other men pulled out weapons of their own. Caspian's heart started pounding as he remembered the rumors of bandits being in the area.

"Run, Phyllis!" he shouted. She jumped from her horse, but one of the men grabbed her and pinned her arms behind her back.

"Caspian! Help!" she cried. Caspian turned to help Phyllis, ready to protect her at any and all costs. But his heart sank when he saw yet another attacker running towards them to join the five already there.

"Let her go, and we'll give you the horses and everything without any struggle," Caspian said.

"Afraid we can't do that," the bandit sneered. Then the last attacker joined them.

"Ay! 'oo are you?" one of the bandits shouted to the newcomer. Phyllis somehow had managed to use the distraction to wiggle out of the man's arms. At least, that is what Caspian had presumed. He had taken his eyes off of her for a moment. Even more shocking, the bandit suddenly fell over, knife in his back. The newcomer had stabbed him.


	6. Treachery at the Heart

Susan grinned as she ducked behind a bush. The plan was being executed flawlessly.

"Your Majesty!" Peepicheek whispered, seeing her.

"Oh! Hello there," Susan said, surprised. "What –"

"The High King ordered us here as protection, in case this goes sour," he explained.

"By the Mane," she swore under her breath. "I'm going to strangle him."

"Your Majesty?" the Mouse asked, alarmed.

"That… that was figurative. Never mind," she said absently, returning to the scene before her. Edmund and Caspian were finishing the men off without a problem. Edmund wasn't being as cautious as Susan would have liked him to be. His fighting style was too Narnian. He was attempting to mask it with some Archenlander moves, but Susan was still worried Caspian might notice something strange. And for all she knew fighting styles in Archenland could have completely changed in the past millennium.

Soon, only one of the attackers lived. Edmund tackled him, placing his knee on the man's chest and raising his sword to his neck threateningly. Already knowing the answer, he asked, "Tell me if you value your life. Who sent you?"

This was the most variable part of the plan. Both of the siblings waited with bated breath for the response. The man snarled, "Who the Tash are you?"

"Who sent you?" Edmund repeated, digging his sword into the man's neck, a thin line of blood trickling out. Susan started to make her way back in case she could help in any way.

Caspian was still rather bemused by the circumstances, but pointed his sword at the man and said, "As Prince of Narnia, I will grant pardon in exchange for the name of the man who sent you."

The man glanced at him and the two swords. He finally relented. "Dunno. Orders came from the castle."

"The…the castle?" Caspian said, startled. "That makes no sense."

Susan came to his side, just half a step behind. Caspian was too naïve. He'd never connect the dots. Not without their help at least. "My prince, there's… there's only one person who could have orders to supersede yours."

"That…What do you mean?" Caspian said, chilled.

"Ay. Keep to your promise," the man snarled. Edmund stood up and sheathed his sword. The man ran off the moment he could, most likely fearing imprisonment which would surely lead to repercussions from the castle.

"Phyllis, what did you mean?" Caspian said more urgently.

"Nothing, my prince," she said, bashfully looking towards the ground. Edmund covered up a snort with a cough. Susan, bashful? What a joke. Caspian gave him a curious look, but seemed to not dwell on it too much. "I've said too much already."

"Phyllis," he said, grabbing her by her shoulders to make her face him. "You can tell me anything. I trust you."

"It's just… well, to have orders from the castle… that means by someone who's in charge. And that would be…" she trailed off.

"No," Caspian said abruptly. "You can't mean that. My uncle? He… he would _never_."

"Yes, your Highness," Susan said, drawing back as though she was scared. Edmund was having the hardest time not laughing at his sister's acting. He hadn't realized just how good she was at acting. But seeing her act all shy and submissive was hilarious!

"I… I didn't mean it like that. Forgive me," the prince said, taking her hand into his and stroking it gently. With Caspian's back turned to him, Edmund had the freedom to make a gagging action. Susan saw and faked shyness of hiding her face in her hair to keep from laughing. "I merely meant… there _must_ be some other explanation. But, who are you?"

He turned back to Edmund who got up and bowed, saying, "I am Peridan of Archenland, may it please your Highness."

Susan recognized the name as an old friend of theirs. Caspian frowned, looking him over, and asked, "And how did you happen upon here, Peridan of Archenland?" `

"I was visiting Beruna when I got a bit lost. I happened upon these men in the woods and was planning on asking them for directions, but before they noticed me I overheard them plotting to kill someone. I couldn't in good faith let such villainy go without doing my part to stop it," Edmund lied.

"Well, Narnia thanks you. You will be rewarded for your actions," Caspian said. "Come with us to the castle."

Susan and Edmund exchanged a glance out of habit before realizing how foolish doing so would be. Caspian noticed and frowned. What was going on between them? They had only just met, whereas he had known Phyllis for over a month now. He was surprised how strongly he felt about this. What made this stranger and Phyllis feel a connection? Every time Caspian tried to reach out to the shy maid, she drew back from him. Suddenly, Caspian was regretting inviting this stranger to the castle. But he _had_ saved his and Phyllis' life.

"I would be honored," Edmund decided. Susan bit down on her lip, hard. This wasn't part of the plan. Edmund was supposed to simply fight off the attackers, show that Miraz and Pruniprismia sent the attackers, and leave. But she should have expected her brother would want to come to the castle with her. Probably thinking she needed protection. "But…your Highness, I must tell you more of what I heard from the attackers. I… I may have some information about the attackers. I didn't understand what it implied until your handmaid made me realize you were the prince."

Caspian stiffened, not liking where this was going. "Continue," he said shortly.

"They… they said they were 'eliminating a threat'," Edmund improvised. They hadn't anticipated the Telmarine prince to be so loyal to his treacherous aunt and uncle. But between the two of them, they would surely find some way of at the very least putting serious doubt in the prince's mind.

"I do not understand," the prince said, perturbed. Susan refrained from rolling her eyes. He was so dense! She dramatically gasped and clung to his arm.

"Oh, Prince Caspian," she said despairingly. "I… I can't believe your own uncle thinks of you that way."

That did it. Caspian;s eyes widened. "But… I…I've never tried to take his throne from him."

"You're almost of age," Susan reminded.

The pieces began clicking together in Caspian's mind. Every time he had tried to do his duty as prince, his uncle had protested. He had ultimately allowed it, but it was far too transparent that Miraz was at least reluctant. But… to send assassins to kill him? "It…it's suspicious, but I don't believe he would go that far. Come. Let us go to the castle and speak no more of this."

On the way, Susan and Edmund both were racking their minds with other possible ideas. If the Telmarine prince didn't believe them, then their plans for instigating a civil war between him and his relatives were ruined. They might as well have just let him die then and there.

Once they had returned, Caspian found his uncle.

"My dear nephew," Miraz stammered, looking shocked to see Caspian alive. Caspian frowned. That… had Miraz at least known of the attackers. "Why is your Highness here?"

"Uncle, I must have private conference with you," Caspian insisted, wanting to get to the bottom of this.

Miraz drew back in surprise but regained his stride and said, "But of course."

Caspian faced off with Miraz in the antechamber to the side of the Throne Room where two guards were standing by the door.

"What did you know of the men who attacked me?" Caspian questioned, cutting to the chase. _Please know nothing,_ he thought desperately. Miraz and Pruniprismia were the only family he knew. His mind drifted off to his childhood fantasies of the Narnians. He had always wondered what it would be like to one day rule with siblings like the Kings and Queens of Old did. But he was alone. Alone but for his aunt and uncle. They may not be close, but he needed them.

"I know that they failed seeing as you are standing here before me," Miraz said.

"What?" Caspian said, feeling a cold shiver run up his spine. "What do you mean?"

Miraz began pacing about. "We Telmarines would have nothing if we hadn't taken it for ourselves. We took Narnia from the Narnians, as I take Narnia from you. As I did from your father."

"My – my father?" Caspian said in disbelief. "He… he died in his sleep."

"It was a version of the truth," Miraz said nonchalantly as if it hardly mattered to him.

"How… how could you?!" Caspian shouted, hurt. "I… I trusted you! I thought you cared about me? And my father too?"

"I deserved to rule more than your father ever did," Miraz said, slamming his hand down on the table.

"But how… this is impossible," Caspian said, not believing the truth so plainly laid out before him. "How would you know that Phyllis would happen upon the men?"

Miraz began chuckling. "You are naïve, boy. It's a wonder you survived this long."

Caspian frowned, confused before realization dawned on him. "Phyllis… she… _she_ was in on this?" he said, horrified by the betrayal.

Miraz smirked as he nodded. "And now she knows too much. But my men are dealing with her as we speak."

"Phyllis!" Caspian shouted, realizing what Miraz meant and springing for the door without a second thought. But the door was locked. "Uncle, open the door!"

"So foolish. You would even save a worthless maid who would betray you?" Miraz sneered. "You would never make for a Telmarine king. It's for the best of all Telmarines that you are disposed of now."

Miraz pulled a wicked looking dagger from deep within his robes. Caspian reached for his sword and drew it. Even though he could hardly deny his uncle's wicked side, he still was reluctant to kill his only kin. "Uncle, you wouldn't try. Even if you managed to disarm and kill me, the blame will be cast on you."

To Caspian's shock, Miraz then used the dagger to would himself instead. "Not if I too was almost victim to the same savage assassin and was the fortunate survivor."

Caspian stared in shock until he suddenly realized the two guards he had last seen at the door were now at his back with swords drawn. He countered their attacks. He swore under his breath. Of course. They must be in his uncle's employ as well. It seemed everyone here was his enemy. Worse though was that these two guards seemed more then up to their job. Caspian gasped as a sword cut through his arm. With the two of them against him, it wouldn't take them long to finish him off. But he would go down fighting.

He saw his uncle out of the corner of his eye and glared. Miraz. If he could just bring him down before he too died he could avenge his father's death. With a new burst of energy, he roared in righteous anger and pushed the two guards off of him and headed for his uncle. He raised his sword, but Miraz struck with his dagger, and Caspian as forced to change course to protect himself. Then one of the guards caught up with him, grabbing him from behind and forcing him down. The other caught up and shoved the hilt of his sword on Caspian's arm, causing him to lose grip of his sword. The guards still forcing Caspian on his knees, Miraz wickedly forced Caspian to look at him as he sneered. "More of a survivor than your father was, I'll give you that much. I wasn't expecting you to put up this much of a fight. Such a shame it is all for naught."

"Uncle," Caspian said desperately. "It… it doesn't have to go like this."

Miraz raised his dagger as a darkly victorious look came over him. "Oh, but I'm afraid it must. Goodbye, my _dear_ nephew."


End file.
